HUNTSVILLE, AL. - Another casualty of last month's snow and ice storm are the reflectors on city streets that help mark lane boundaries for drivers. Blades on the city's heavy equipment not only push away snow and ice to clear the street, they catch the raised reflectors in the mix.

Steven Baty said by e-mail that many of the reflectors scraped away last month are littering the road sides, including the blue reflectors that indicate the location of a fire hydrant. "As streets are repaved, would it be wise to utilize the 'northern' way of installing these - gouge the pavement and place them in this recess?" Baty asked.

Richard Kramer, director of the city's Traffic Engineering Department, said the department is in the process of determining how many reflectors were scraped off last month. The reflectors cost about $1 apiece, he said. "We're not putting any of them back until we know the potential for snow and stuff" has passed, Kramer said.

He said firefighters in each district know where the fire hydrants are in their district, and that the blue reflectors mainly help firefighters called in from another district.

It's not feasible to install recessed reflectors because the city doesn't get as much snow as in northern states and the city would have to buy a machine to create the niche for the recessed reflectors, Kramer said.

Recessed reflectors are used many times on high-speed highways where the fast moving traffic keeps dirt and grime blown out of the niche, Kramer said. Dirt and grime would fill the niche on low-speed city streets and reduce or eliminate the recessed reflectors visibility, he said.

Todd Mill closing

One lane of Todd Mill Road will be closed temporarily during normal work hours for the next two months to install a drainage pipe. The city Engineering Department will close one lane starting today and ending April 8. Additional traffic delays are expected during construction.

The city will install a drainage pipe and related facilities on the west side of Todd Mill Road between Hobbs Place and Mountain Gap Road. It will also install drainage pipe from Todd Mill Road to Aldridge Creek on the east side of Todd Mill Road at 10205 Todd Mill Road.

Charlie Patterson closing

Part of Charlie Patterson Road in northeast Madison County is scheduled to be closed today for Madison County District 1 crews to install drainage pipes across the road. Charlie Patterson Road will be closed from Tom Taylor Road to Tipton Drive from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.